Review of Queen of the West

The paddlewheeler Queen of the West riverboat cruises on Columbia and Snake rivers, departing from Portland (Oregon) and Clarkston (Washington).

Launched in 1995, Queen of the West cruise ship is America flagged, and offers 7-day cruises in the USA Pacific Northwest while following the route of Clark and Lewis. She's 230-foot long, four-decks high and carries 120 passengers. The ship's all-American crew and staff provides a most personalized service.

The boat was built for American West Steamboat Company, and later sold to Majestic America Line. In 2009 was sold to American Cruise Lines, and extensively renovated in 2011. This American Cruise Lines riverboat features spacious staterooms, and most of them have private balconies. They all have opening picture windows with a private view and individual climate control. DVD player, satellite TV and complimentary Wi-Fi are a plus in all staterooms. The vessel's sister by design is Queen of the Mississippi (cruising on Ohio and Mississippi rivers in the Southern USA). Both ships have stern-mounted paddlewheel (20-ton). It is driven by a hydraulic motor, powered by diesel engines. The ships are easily navigated by a couple of Z-drive units providing more maneuverability and higher cruising speed than typical riverboats.

Queen of the West cruise prices are per person (USD) and based on double occupancy. These are only indicative American Cruise Lines riverboat cruise rates. They might be different when you book your USA river cruise deals, influenced by travel agency promotions, special offers and discounts, group travel booking or last-minute deals rates.

River cruise itineraries

Queen of the West ship offers 7-night itineraries on an authentic paddlewheeler cruises in the USA Pacific Northwest. Although the oldest in the fleet, this riverboat was extensively refurbished in 2011 so it's basically a new ship combining traditional American river travel experiences with modern technologies and amenities. Sailings are operated with departures from the ports of Portland OR and Clarkston WA.

The Queen of the West riverboat cruises on Columbia and Snake rivers in the US Pacific Northwest. The boat is a traditional sternwheeler (paddlewheeler), and the oldest ship in the American Cruise Lines fleet. One of the vessel's special features is the 45ft (14m)-long bow ramp allowing guests to go ashore anywhere along the river route. The boat has a 3-story-high paddlewheel, powered by a modern propulsion system that uses biodegradable hydraulic oil. Most of the guests are senior Americans, few families/children.

Despite the fact that the boat is diesel-powered, many ACL fans call Queen of the West "steamboat" due to her design. This type USA river cruise ships are design replicas of the big-capacity riverboats which used to operate in the late 1800s on the USA's largest rivers, like Mississippi, Ohio, Snake, Columbia. Aka "paddle steamers", each of them had a steam power plant rotating the stern paddle-wheel, or the two side wheels (of the alternative design).

The 2011 refurbishment included refitting of staterooms (expanding the size of cabins, individual climate control, stationary, closet, 4-drawer dresser; adding more balconies - now 60% of all accommodations), lounges renovations (custom built furniture, new interior decor), also reconstruction of the galley and the engine room.

Note: You can see the CruiseMapper's list of all river cruise ships and riverboats in the "itinerary" section of our River Cruises hub. All companies and their fleets are listed there.